BMW 4 Series Rear Bumper: Fitment, Sensors & Common Damage

A genuinely useful finding: a towbar fitted with a vehicle-specific kit still required rear sensors to be manually switched off every time something was towed — worth asking whether automatic detection can be coded in.

Illustration for editorial purposes

OEM Part Numbers

Accuracy note: we weren't able to verify a confident BMW 4 Series rear bumper part number at the time of writing. Please confirm the correct part via a BMW dealer or parts specialist using your VIN.

More Than Just a Plastic Panel

Modern rear bumpers routinely integrate parking sensors, reversing camera housings and sometimes exhaust trim finishers, which means replacing one after even minor kerb damage often involves more than a straightforward swap.

Before you buy: bumper specification varies significantly by trim, particularly around parking sensor cutouts and camera housings. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

What It Does

Beyond absorbing minor impacts, the rear bumper on higher trims of the 4 Series often houses parking sensors, a reversing camera, and sometimes integrated exhaust finishers. A bumper that looks compatible can still be missing the correct cutouts or wiring provisions for your specific trim's equipment.

BMW 4 Series Rear Bumper reference plate

Generations & Colour

Standard trims	Alpine White (no-cost), Jet Black, Black Sapphire, Mineral Grey
M4	Isle of Man Green and Toronto Red are popular performance-trim shades; the rear bumper is also styled differently on this trim

A Genuinely Useful Finding Worth Knowing About Towbars — BMW 4 Series Rear Bumper

If a towbar has been fitted and the rear parking sensors now sound constantly whenever something is attached, this is genuinely worth knowing: one documented case saw exactly this after a vehicle-specific towbar kit was fitted, requiring the sensors to be manually switched off using the button beside the gear selector every time something was towed. It's genuinely worth knowing that coding the car to automatically detect when the towbar's electrical socket is connected, switching off the rear sensors without manual intervention, is something worth asking a specialist about, since this automatic detection isn't always included by default even with a proper, vehicle-specific kit.

A genuinely alarming, real safety finding worth knowing: if a towbar has been fitted without proper coding work, the rear parking sensors and camera can genuinely detect an attached trailer as a hazard, in documented cases causing the car to brake hard and stop suddenly due to the automatic emergency braking function.

It's also genuinely worth knowing that not all aftermarket towbar electrics kits behave the same way — one documented case saw the parking sensors correctly switch off, but the rear camera remained active regardless.

Common Damage, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Rear Bumper Guide for common damage types, confirming fitment (body style and sensor equipment matter here), and OEM vs aftermarket guidance.

More BMW Rear Bumper

The same part, covered across other BMW models.

BMW 4 Series Rear Bumper: Fitment, Sensors & Common Damage

OEM Part Numbers

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A Genuinely Useful Finding Worth Knowing About Towbars — BMW 4 Series Rear Bumper